1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the production of an electrophotographic lithographic printing plate precursor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A process for the production of a lithographic printing plate by an electrophotographic method has been known, for example, which comprises subjecting a photoconductive layer of an electrophotographic plate making material such as electrophotographic lithographic printing plate precursors to uniform static charge, to imagewise exposure and then to development by wet or dry process to obtain a toner image, then fixing this toner image and processing it with an oil-desensitizing solution (etching solution) to render hydrophilic a non-image area apart from the toner image.
An electrophotographic lithographic printing plate precursor can generally be prepared by coating one surface of a support with a dispersion of a composition for a photoconductive layer comprising, as a predominant component, a photoconductive material, binder and dispersing liquid, drying and thus forming the photoconductive layer on the support. That is, the dispersion is coated onto the surface of the support and subjected to drying by drying air, ordinarily at 60.degree. to 120.degree. C., to evaporate the dispersing liquid, as the predominant component of the dispersion, for example, toluene, xylene or ethanol, thus forming the photoconductive layer. In spite of that the electrophotographic lithographic printing plate precursor has hitherto been prepared by determining the conditions of dispersing, coating and drying, the properties as an electrophotographic lithographic printing plate precursor, in particular, electrophotographic sensitivity, toner fogging density, background stains as a printing plate are unstable and it is difficult to maintain constant the sensitivity as electrophotographic properties and the printing adaptability as a printing plate.